The St. Johns herald., 1887-08-25
IAN OCEAN TR1UYoLE.
Curious Llfe.SaxinR Machine A Sea Wag.
 oa TWeufy-osven Feet High.

Curious Llfe.ssxinE Machine A Sea wag.
 a TUeuty-ssven Feet High.
 A tricycIe on which to ride through and over the breakers which beat on the Atlantic coast may have been dreamed of, but that 1t would ever Le thought of when awake and sober has entered into the minds of few besides its inventor, Philadelphian, who has secured a patent for his invention, and expects to find millions in 1t.
 The object of this, probably the larg- est tricycle ever built, is not simply for exercise and amusement, as are the less pretentious three-whceled vehicles, but it is proposed 10 utilize it as means for the saving of life from vessels wreckeJ on the dangerous beaches. This one will be used by the liie-s wing station at Ocean City. and If 1t proves success, as ail who have examined it I.elleve it will, others will be built fof the llfe-saying stations all along tho coast.
 The machine may be run. by two men ea-ily. and yet Is so strong Gnd so con- structed as 10 pass through tie toughest water without injury, and without even wetting the men who may rice upon IL, except such weiting as may be duo to spray.
 time," said the man who WAS super h. tending the work of building the curious machine, "and it will, beyond question, revolutionize the present systen of Say ing life on the coast. There nee1 be no trouble hereafter in launching tho surf- Loats, and the motor u5t d for shooting Q line across stranded yess' Is may be laid aside forever, once this macninc is in working trim.
 |" "Ins: cad of requiring an hour or two to reach 0 wrecked vessel, 1t may be done on tho sea wagon in ten minutes, and without the least danger. Tho i'm. perilled crow could be taken ashore on the machine, if desired; in fact, per feet communication betw en the land and the wreck will be established, and absolutely without Canger, when this nachineis put into general use."
 The sea wagon, " as the inventor has named it, is composed entirely of iron and steel. except the small triangular platform at the top, on which those who work 1t will stand.
 The wheels, which are eight feet and @ half in diameter, are of steel, and ire placed at the points of 0 triangle, each side of which is twenty-four feet at tho top. The frame is skeleton, the iron being so arranged as to present as lit- tle resistance to wind and waves IS possible.
 Tho inventor expects the toughest seas to break through it without doing the least damage to the machine.
 The motive power is by the working of two levers at the top platform. These levers each have two s;eel rods, which lead down to the front wheels of the tricycle., the tires of which are nutched. a shoe on tho end of each steel Iod catches in these notches and propels the machine by tho moving up and d,wn of the levers. The rods arc so placed on for Q fresh grip, the other is pulling upward.
 By this means the motion Is cortinu- ous, and the rate at which two men are expected 10 be able to move 1t through the water Is three miles an hour, as fast es the average gait of walking.
 The third or hind wheel nets like a caster. and. swinging on a pivot, follows tho leading wheels of the tricycle, which Is steered Gy the levers.
 Very few vessels are wrecked in twenty or more feet of water. and if the '"sea wagon "-operates as its maker expects 1t to. 1t may Oe run out to any stranded vessel.
 A ladder arranged SO asto be extend cd from4he top is. placed on one side of vehicle. sod by this not only will the crew of the t4acline mount to the railsd platform, bW crews of wreckedvessels may do thesa ne. and be'wheelcd 10 dry land. Slk rhen>eou1d thus he carried at time.-t Philadelphia News.